


A Christmas to Remember

by Warp5Complex_Archivist



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-24
Updated: 2009-12-24
Packaged: 2018-08-15 16:32:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8063767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Warp5Complex_Archivist/pseuds/Warp5Complex_Archivist
Summary: Trip and Malcolm's first Christmas as a couple.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Kylie Lee, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Warp 5 Complex](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Warp_5_Complex), the software of which ceased to be maintained and created a security hazard. To make future maintenance and archive growth easier, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but I may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Warp 5 Complex collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/Warp5Complex).
> 
>  **Author's notes:** Property of Paramount/CBS, no money made from the story.
> 
> Thanks to Mike for beta reading, and before Christmas too!

Aboard the starship _Enterprise_ , the Christmas party was in full swing. Some of the more artistic crewmembers had painted festive scenes on the mess hall windows (after demonstrating how easily the paint came off), Quartermaster had provided a large wreath, and garland rounded out the decorations. Around the room were several piles of presents for the Christmas swap. Christmas carols were playing, and occasionally groups of crewmembers would sing alone. Chef and his team had done their usual great work, which included a red-and-green fruit salad, wassail, and an army of gingerbread men, along with a large gingerbread house that nobody dared touch. There was even a table set up so everyone could decorate their own sugar cookies.

All in all, it should have been a fun time, but Trip Tucker was in a bit of a quandary. The female members of his engineering team, plus a couple of the guys, seemed to have a well-organized scheme involving lots of hand-held fake mistletoe. So far heâ€™d kissed six of them, and each time Malcolm looked less pleased. The problem was that they hadnâ€™t exactly gotten around to discussing how public to be about their relationship. It had barely been three weeks, after all. Trip had told Jon and Malcolm had told Hoshi, but theyâ€™d kept a low profile. Therefore Trip wasnâ€™t sure that announcing, â€œExcuse me, but youâ€™re making my boyfriend sulkâ€ was a great idea. On the other hand, letting this kissing business go on wasnâ€™t a good idea either. It was clearly ruining the party for Malcolm, which pretty much ruined it for Trip as well. 

After obligingly giving Ensign Fitzpatrick a peck, he wondered about the possibility of getting Hoshi to talk his people out of their fun. Before that could happen, though, Malcolm solved the problem altogether. 

â€œExcuse me, Ensign,â€ he said, sliding up to Fitzpatrick. â€œMay I borrow your mistletoe for a moment?â€ 

Fitzpatrick was surprised but held it out. â€œOf course, Lieutenant.â€ 

â€œThank you.â€ 

The next thing Trip knew Malcolm was in front of him. Without even bothering to hold the mistletoe overhead, Malcolm pulled Trip close and kissed him. It wasnâ€™t a quick, you-caught-me-under-the-mistletoe kiss. No, this was a strong, possessive kiss. Malcolm was claiming Trip, and he wanted everyone to know it. Trip, who was only to happy to be claimed, wrapped his arms around Malcolmâ€™s waist. 

There could be no question in anyoneâ€™s mind after that display. â€œItâ€™s about time!â€ declared Doctor Phlox. Someone catcalled. 

â€œI hope I didnâ€™t overstep,â€ whispered Malcolm when they came up for air, â€œbut watching other people kiss you and not kissing you myself was making the evening quite intolerable.â€ 

Trip grinned. â€œI donâ€™t mind at all.â€ 

â€œSo, congratulations!â€ Travis, who loved excitement in any form, was clearly enjoying himself. â€œHow long have you two been an item?â€ 

â€œThree weeks,â€ replied Trip, who hadnâ€™t bothered to take his left arm off Malcolmâ€™s waist. 

â€œThis is going to be a party to remember.â€ Travis was right about that. Everyone was looking at them. 

â€œI wondered how long you were going to put up with all that mistletoe, Malcolm,â€ Hoshi said. â€œBut I didnâ€™t see that coming.â€ 

â€œNeither did I,â€ admitted Malcolm. 

â€œWell,â€ said a grinning Jon, â€œif I hadnâ€™t seen that myself, Iâ€™d be sure it was exaggerated. Feeling territorial, Malcolm?â€ 

â€œA bit.â€ 

â€œOh, right. Just a bit.â€ Travis rolled his eyes. 

Ensign Fitzpatrick, who looked quite embarrassed, cleared her throat. â€œAh, sirs, we had no ideaâ€¦â€ 

Malcolm took pity on her and interrupted. â€œYou couldnâ€™t have. Thereâ€™s no problem.â€ 

â€œNo harm done,â€ Trip assured her. â€œThe point of a party is to have fun, right?â€ 

â€œTime for a new kind of fun,â€ she replied, clearly relieved. â€œLieutenant Reed obviously has a monopoly on this one.â€ 

Malcolm handed back her mistletoe. â€œThank you for the loan.â€ 

The rest of the Christmas party passed in a bit of a blur. He ended up with a bag of Teelian mints in the gift swap. The most popular item for the swap had been Tâ€™Polâ€™s, much to everyoneâ€™s surprise. Apparently there was a Vulcan family who had an excess of fruit one year and had sort of accidentally discovered an export market for what was being called â€˜Vulcan port.â€™ Tâ€™Pol brought a bottle to the gift swap and Ensign Carmichael was thrilled that he ended up with it. As was obligatory for Christmas parties, Trip ate more cookies than he shouldâ€™ve, sang along with â€œWe Wish You A Merry Christmasâ€ while wondering why, of all things, someone would want figgy pudding, and swapped Christmas-on-Earth stories. Phlox had discovered the irreverent songs set to Christmas carol tunes and was well on his way to being an expert on â€œThe Restroom Door Said Gentlemen.â€ Porthos managed to get a half-decorated sugar cookie was very pleased with his prize. Crewman Obermeyer took a gingerbread man over to the sugar cookie decorating table and turned it into a gingerbread Andorian. 

To Trip, though, none of that was nearly as important or memorable as kissing Malcolm under the mistletoe, and he went through the party in a Malcolm-induced haze. When the party wound down they left together, finally coming to a stop in front of Malcolmâ€™s door. 

â€œTrip,â€ said Malcolm, looking slightly nervous, â€œwould you like to stay tonight?â€ 

He was sure his smile answered for him. â€œThatâ€™d be great. Let me just go put these away,â€ he held up his mints, â€œanâ€™ grab your present, okay?â€ 

â€œIâ€™ll be here.â€ 

This Christmas was getting better and better. Now he just hoped Malcolm liked his present. It had taken Trip some time to come up with. Actually, heâ€™d nearly been at the point of asking for advice from Hoshi when he thought of what seemed like a good gift for the new, but serious, relationship. 

Malcolm was standing in his doorway when Trip returned. When the door was shut, Trip leaned in for a brief kiss. â€œMerry Christmas, Malcolm.â€ 

â€œHappy Christmas, Trip. Come have a seat.â€ There was a little package on Malcolmâ€™s bed, neatly wrapped in shiny gold paper. Malcolm picked it up and handed it to him. 

Trip had never been one for trying to guess what the present was before unwrapping it. He ripped the tape up and revealed a little metal blob with no face except a proportionately huge mouth. Laughing, he proclaimed, â€œThe blob from outer space! Wow, did you make this?â€ When Malcolm nodded, he added, â€œYou did a great job.â€ 

â€œIâ€™m glad you think so.â€ 

_The Blob from Outer Space_ had been featured several movie nights previously. While it was a recent release, it was retro-style, complete with over-the-top acting and cheesy special effects. Trip thought it was terrific. 

â€œThanks, Malcolm. Itâ€™s super.â€ He held out his present. â€œYour turn.â€ 

Malcolm apparently wasnâ€™t one to try to guess his gift either, as he went right to removing the candy cane paper. When he revealed the present, he smiled. â€œThe phase pistol nebula.â€ 

It was a nebula with a more scientific name that didnâ€™t stick because Malcolm had immediately announced, â€œIt looks like a phase pistol.â€ And it really did. They had come across it a couple of months earlier. Trip had pulled the image from the computer and made a frame for it. 

â€œIs the frame magnetic?â€ guessed Malcolm, hefting it. 

â€œYep.â€ 

â€œThank you.â€ Malcolm stood and placed it on the wall opposite his bed. â€œItâ€™s lovely.â€ 

â€œSo whatâ€™re your familyâ€™s Christmas traditions?â€ 

â€œPopcorn balls. Mother always makes popcorn balls on the 24th. Maddie always liked to help make them. I preferred to help eat them.â€ 

â€œSounds good to me,â€ said Trip, who had been known in years past to swipe half-decorated gingerbread men. 

â€œWe always had a few sailors join us for Christmas dinner. There were always some who couldnâ€™t make it home and didnâ€™t have any family with them. Mother being a firm believer that nobody should spend Christmas alone, she always had Father invite any of his men who had no family around.â€ 

â€œThatâ€™s nice.â€ He agreed that nobody should be alone on Christmas. 

â€œAnd the Christmas service at church, of course. Father would never miss that. What about your traditions?â€ 

â€œWell, pullinâ€™ my brotherâ€™s cat out of the tree. Every year the stupid thing climbed up anâ€™ got tangled in the lights. But my favorite was always the weekend after Thanksgiving. We put up the lights, the snowmen, the reindeer on the roof â€“ the whole works. Then a couple of weeks later weâ€™d get the tree anâ€™ decorate it. Oh yeah, gettinâ€™ things for the toy drive too. My parents always took us to the mall and weâ€™d each pick out a toy for the drive. Usually found somethinâ€™ we couldnâ€™t live without in the process.â€ 

Malcolm smiled. â€œNaturally. Itâ€™s a wonderful tradition.â€ 

He thought so, and had done it until shipping out on _Enterprise_. â€œYep. Hard to do in space, though.â€ 

â€œMost holiday traditions are.â€ 

â€œWeâ€™re doinâ€™ alright with the mistletoe.â€ 

â€œIndeed we are.â€ 

â€œYour little show earlierâ€¦â€ he was having a hard time coming up with the right words, so he settled for, â€œit was a damn good Christmas present.â€ 

â€œNot as good as having you in my bed,â€ replied Malcolm. Trip decided it was time to set the blob from outer space safely on the floor. He hadnâ€™t even finished sitting back up when Malcolm yanked him in for a searing kiss. 

Trip kissed back enthusiastically, running his hands around Malcolmâ€™s back. This, he thought happily, was going to be a Christmas to remember. 


End file.
